A Warmer December
by EE's Skysong
Summary: Three couples finding a little warmth in the coldest month. RobStar BBRae Kid FlashJinx


Disclaimer: "Oh, I'm gonna get a lot of mileage outta this one."

(An: I do this type of thing a lot- little romance ficlets that don't make a story alone all crammed into one. Only now I'm doing it for Teen Titans. Yay. Oh, and we're imagining "Lightspeed" happened closer to winter, ok?)

_All I can say is that my life is pretty plain_

"Pleeeeease?"

"No."

"Why not?"

I set down my book and look him in his eyes- which're currently in gigantic, pleading mode. "The movie you're talking about- Red Witch or whatever-"

"_Scarlet_ Witch," he corrects me instantly.

"Whatever," I repeat. "The point is, I've seen the trailers and the posters and all the other advertisments for _that_ little travesty and all of it is demeaning to those who _actually_ practice magic."

"So?" he replies.

I just stare at him.

"It's not the _point,_" he goes on. "The movie isn't about a witch- that's just what people call her. It's a superhero movie!"

"Pfft," I say. "Superheroes. Whoever coined that name should be shot."

"You know you can't resist the Face," he replies, turning into a kitten with eyes just as wide and pleading as his own had been.

"That's Starfire, not me." I feel slightly offended that he would think that we're similar enough to be swayed by the same tactics. Starfire _is_ the closest thing I've got to a best friend, but still.

"Aw," he sighs, going human. "Well, it was worth a shot, at least."

"You're giving me a headache. Why not go ask someone _else_, who's actually interested in that crap?"

"I don't wanna ask anyone else," he replies. "I wanna go with you."

I look up sharply and study him a moment. The words pop to my lips _Like a date, you mean?_ (meant to be said in the rudest tone possible) but I don't let myself, and he continues anyway.

"Besides, Starfire said she was looking for you. She had a hair dryer and what appeared to be mascara..." The grin on his face suggests he hadn't informed her of my location... _yet._

"You play dirty."

"So you don't wanna come, then?"

I slam my book shut. "All right, fine."

"Yay!"

"If you hug me-"

"Sorry."

_And all I can do is just pour some tea for two And speak my point of view But it's not sane_

At the theatre, I pay for both tickets before she can say a word. Naturally, she shoots me a nasty look.

"You payed my way that one time, remember?" I say.

This, of course, is a total lie, and her look suggests she realizes this, but at least she doesn't pursue the matter.

I like the movie, but throughout most of it her look suggest she's less than thrilled.

When the ending credits roll and we spill out onto the streets, I say, "Thanks."

She shrugs, with that blank expression she gets when she's uncomfortable.

"No, really," I go on. "You were enjoying yourself back at the Tower, and you came with me anyway." I bite my lip for a moment, then I lean over and kiss her cheek.

She just stares at me for a second, her pale cheeks slowly turning red. Then she says, "Don't be half-assed, Garfield. If this is a date, make it a date."

I stare at her for a second. Then I slip an arm around her waist.

"That's a start..."

_It's happening all the time When I open my eyes I'm still taken by surprise I hold sunlight and swallow fireflies_

"No, like_ this_," he murmurs, taking the paper from me and folding it into quarters.

I, of course, am only pretending to not understand how to fold it, just for the chance that his hands might brush against mine and linger.

They don't, but it was worth a try.

He folds it again into a triangle and hands it back to me, with the smile he gets when he's pleased with himself (which is rare). "See?"

I nod.

"Now, you just cut away parts of it." He holds up his own. "You've got to be careful though- if you make too many cuts, it'll fall apart."

I take the scissors and start.

Focused on making his own, he stares down at his hands and doesn't look up. My own snowflake forgotten, I peer at him. His face breaks into a broad smile as he unfolds it. I cock my head. It resembles a snowflake... vaguely.

"It's not supposed to be exactly like it," he says, seeing my look and sounding defensive. "It's just paper, after all."

"No, I like it," I say. I turn down to my own, mimicking the cuts he made. My mind isn't on my snowflake, though- it's on him. How this human boy can know exactly what I'm thinking one moment and have no clue the next is beyond me. There's no doubt he's a brilliant leader, but he's so... idiotic in other spots. I unfold my own.

_You have shining eyes, like the forest lights, and it makes me want to cry how I love you_

An instant look of childlike dismay comes over her face when her snowflake falls apart. "I told you to be careful," I say. "If you cut too much on one side, it can't hold itself together."

She frowns, and picks up another piece of paper and starts over. Unlike before, she seems focused now, not detached as she had before.

I prop my chin on my fist and watch her. It's one of those rare times when it's easy to remember she's not from earth, when her innocence shines out and lights up her face.

I don't think I'll ever see anything prettier than that.

She bites her lower lip as she snips away and then carefully unfolds her creation. It holds together this time.

"See?" I say again.

She graces me with an angelic smile and nods. "Do you know," she says, looking down at the confetti that is her first attempt, "this looks more like the snow?" For a moment she just looks at it, then she swiftly bends over the table and blows it all at me.

I pick a few pieces of paper out of my hair.

She reaches over and brushes the rest away. She pauses with her face close to mine, and I blush. She gives me an odd look and sits back down. "Thanks," I say.

"For what?"

"For being you," I reply.

She cocks her head slightly, then straightens, smiling properly again. "We are going to need more of these," she says, picking up a piece of paper, "if we are to have a storm of the snow."

I shake my head, smiling myself now, as I fold my own piece. "Whatever you want," I reply.

_You look at me I look at you Neither of us know what to do_

I sit alone on a park bench, staring at the people all around me. A happy couple walks past, holding hands. I pull a face at them when they go by my bench, but they don't see, too busy staring into each other's eyes. I cross my arms and scowl, pretending that I'm not jealous.

I don't know why I'm in this kind of mood- cross at the world in general, and couples like those two in particular.

Ok. So I do know. What's that got to do with anything?

I mean, his eyes won't leave me alone. They're so... blue. And cheerful. And he always seems to be laughing inside- at me, at himself, at the world.

I sit up and shake myself. I know why I'm sitting on this park bench. I just don't wanna admit it.

I haven't seen him since the fight with Madame Rouge, which was ages ago. And it makes me wonder what he's doing. Has he moved on? Does he change affections as fast as he runs? Or was he never really interested in me to start with, and I was just overthinking the whole thing?

I growl and stand up. I don't like what he does to me. Mostly, anyway. I bite my lip, starting off along the path. I shiver a little, hugging myself. It's December, after all, and I haven't got anything warmer than my dress. Leaving the H.I.V.E. Five to start afresh on my own seems less and less plausible, the farther it gets from the last day I saw him.

Wondering if I have the heart to actually start looking for a job or an apartment, or if I just want to steal a coat, I don't see the flash of color until he's right next to me.

"Cold?" he asks.

I jump, whirling on him, my eyes and hands pink.

He just smiles at me, in normal clothes.

My hands drop and I melt inside. I, of course, don't let him see that.

"What're you doing in the middle of the park in December, anyway?" he asks me. He looks genuinely concerned, something I haven't seen from someone... ever.

"I turned my life around," I reply, turning away from him. The bitterness is obvious enough in my voice, anyway. "Just like you told me to."

"Do you need somewhere to stay or something?" he asks. He walks up behind me and puts his coat over my shoulders.

I glance at him.

He shrugs. "The friction keeps me warm, sweetheart."

_You build me up You knock me down Provoke a smile Make me frown You are the queen of runaround You know it's true_

She just stares at me a moment. Her face is always so suspicious. I've never understood that about her- then again, I don't understand a lot about her. I just smile, and she seems satisfied by this, shrugging her way deeper into my coat. "Thanks," she adds as an afterthought.

"I can take you in, if you need it," I say. "I'd be glad of the company- just me in my apartment since Flash Senior flew the coop."

She glances at me.

"Long story, girl, trust me," I reply.

She starts walking again, looking at her feet. "Where did you go?" she asks.

"To help," I reply. "Ran the world a few times, stopped wherever I saw trouble, you know the deal."

She glances at me, an eyebrow raised.

"Ok, so maybe you don't. Yet."

"I dunno," she replies, looking at the overcast sky now. "I just don't think I'm cut out for the whole hero thing yet."

"On the fence, huh, sweetheart?"

She glances at me, and her expression softens after a second. "Why do you keep calling me that?"

"I dunno... you seem like you need someone to be nice to you, is all."

Her face is about as incredulous as when I asked for mustard on my sandwich at the H.I.V.E. Five's base.

"Gonna take me up on the offer or not, sweetheart?" I ask.

She bites her lip, looking at the ground as we walk again. "Um..." She looks up. Her expression settles. "All right."

"Great!" I say. I slip my hand into hers as we walk out of the park.

(Now wasn't that fun? I'm rather proud of it, for my first Teen Titans bit. Review, if you so please.)


End file.
